Chapter 663 Price of greed 13)
Long Zemin is a blue-grade herbologist and zoologist while Li Yao is a blue-grade alchemist and healer.."
Yang Qing whose gaze was on the middle-aged man walking with Su Jinjing asked,
"What about their master?"
"Their master wasn't that skilled. They met him when they were kids. He was more like their adoptive father than their master.
From what Shu Mei told me, their master was in the qi refinement realm and was the one who helped them break through to the body refining stage. Though the best he could help them achieve was the iron body, the rest they learned by themselves after he passed from an injury he sustained when harvesting herbs..."
"Earlier you said Long Zemin isn't from the Ocean Refining Cauldron Pavilion, then how did he reach his level.." asked Yang Qing.
"Despite their dysfunctional relationship, the two apprentice brothers are close. Back when they stumbled onto the legacy of the soul lake alchemist, Long Zemin was with them, it's just that he opted against founding the Ocean Refining Crucible Pavilion with them, and decided to go on his own as a wanderer and adventurer of the Odyssey Horizon Guild.
I've read some of his books. Cursing his apprentice brother aside, his research into spiritual herb care is extensive and he has researched even rare ones like the ones in the Green Fog Region and places similar to it..."
"Instructor Liu Bei thank you for the help. I'll need to go as Su Jinjing has walked with who I presume is Li Yao..."
"Yes, yes, go...when you get time make sure to pass by the farm. I am already at the cusp of a major breakthrough in the plants. I already heard from your grandfather that your abilities have vastly improved from back then. I need your help, Yang Qing.."
"When I'm replaced here, I will make sure to stop by.."
"Great!!"
After ending the call, Yang Qing dispelled the sound barrier around him and Luo Meili, who was just as surprised as him when they realized Long Zemin's background.
"Long Zemin!! You bastard!! You dare show your face here.." said Huo Ying as she shot death glares at the middle-aged man whose response was a light smile accompanied by a polite nod.
Su Jinjing led him to the extreme left next to where Ling Qi from the Moon Essence Cauldron Sect was standing.
Ling Qi was just as shaken as the rest to see him. He clenched and unclenched his fists a couple of times as his mouth opened and closed a few times.
In the end, he let out a sigh of exasperation as he asked,
"Did you trick us?"
"I didn't.." casually answered the middle-aged man still wearing the same smile on his face as he looked at Ling Qi and the rest.
"You all seem to be doing better than I when I last saw you.." he added.
Hua Ying and Xin Zephyr seemed like they were about to explode as they reflexively reached out for their weapons with throbbing veins appearing on their livid faces.
The middle-aged man unperturbed by their murderous glares, sighed as an elder would when they saw a child do something wrong.
Su Jinjing walked ahead to Yang Qing's podium where she had a few exchanges with him via a secret voiceless transmission.
"This is Long Zemin, I found him thanks to senior Ye Xun's help. He was harvesting herbs in the territory of a palace realm Cyan Peacock.
Ye Xun told me he is at the fifth stage of the palace realm himself, and with a very powerful soul, similar to that of a soul cultivator who has reached the late stages of the palace realm.
I thought he was some no name, but this, Qing, I'm sorry but I think we have brought you a complicated case..." Su Jinjing said in an apologetic tone.
"It wasn't intentional, I swear, right Meili.." she added while looking to Luo Meili for support.
Yang Qing couldn't help but chuckle. Su Jinjinng always had a pure heart like a child's which got her in no small amount of trouble as she conducted her duties when nefarious cultivators mistook her purity for being gullible.
"Don't worry Jinjing, it's okay, and the case itself isn't as complicated as it seems and he holds the key to everything. If it is as I suspect, I won't even have to do anything.." Yang Qing said as his gaze fell on the middle-aged man whose cyan eyes that were filled with wisdom were looking at him.
"I take it you are Long Zemin, or should I call you, Li Yao, one of the founders of the Ocean Refining Cauldron Pavilion.." Yang Qing said with a smile.
The middle-aged man smiled as he placed his right hand above his chest,
"Seems like my disguise has already been revealed before I even managed to do it myself. While I would like to wear the name Long Zemin a little more, it wouldn't be right for me to use it here, I guess I have no choice but to revert to Li Yao.."
The statement was like a thunderclap that had exploded in the four cultivators' minds as they went wide-eyed, with one of them even trembling.
"F..F...founder.." Ling Qi muttered beset with shock as he stared at the middle-aged man standing next to him with a carefree air and a genial smile on his face.
Hua Ying who had exploded on him just a moment ago turned pale white with a horrified look. She wasn't the only one, as Xin Zephyr shared the same look as her.
The only person who seemed mildly okay was Wu Shen who smiled as he said,
"Figures.."
"I don't know if my colleague managed to fill you in on why you are here?" asked Yang Qing.
"Not all the way through, as we arrived here before she could finish.." Li Yao said as a bitter smile appeared on his face when he recalled how he had just been grabbed out of the blue when he was harvesting a blue mist moss.
A blonde-haired lady appeared before him and before he could react he felt his vision change as he was absorbed into some sort of space.
"So that's what a domain space feels like.." he wondered to himself before he focused back on the court.
"But seeing my young friends here, I can guess why. They probably said I did something to them.." he added as he threw the four cultivators a playful smile.
"They did, but I take it, that's not so. Would you care to share.."
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